Clumping bamboo can be widely grown in tropical areas of the world. The structure of such bamboo is strikingly different from that of many other plants. The trunk of the plant is called the "culm," and multiple culms grow from each clump. A culm may grow to be several tens of feet in length in some varieties of bamboo. The diameter of a culm varies from a maximum near the ground to a small value near the upper tip. The range of diameters of culms available from bamboo plants varies from a fraction of an inch to several inches. Each culm is covered with a tough, hard outer skin, giving the culm high mechanical strength.
Once established, bamboo replenishes itself very rapidly. Therefore, fully developed bamboo culms can be cut every two to three years. In even less time, branches in the 0.5- to 1.5-inch diameter can be cut from immature clumps.
It is known to construct furniture from bamboo. U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,065 discloses knockdown furniture and structural components made from bamboo. Bamboo pieces are cut into predetermined lengths to form legs, rails and couplings for furniture. The legs and rails are provided with holes and fitted with female fittings. The coupling is fitted with a dowel having blind threaded holes through which male fittings can be connected.
Since bamboo is more favorably grown in regions which are remote from major markets, the cost of transporting bamboo furniture or articles to market becomes a significant cost of the article. Costs of transport by ship are usually determined by the volume of the article. Therefore, ability to pack bamboo furniture in a form which can be easily assembled to the bamboo product after shipment and which occupies minimum volume during shipment is important in determining retail cost of the article.
There is a need for support bases for pieces of furniture such as tables, stools and chairs, or any other support utilizing bamboo pieces. The support bases should be easily assembled from a structure that can be packed in a relatively flat and compact configuration for shipping.